Black Hairsytles | Army Bans Common Black Hairstyles, Including Corn Rows and Twists | Blog Black Hair Styles

Black Hairsytles | Army Bans Common <b>Black Hairstyles</b>, Including Corn Rows and Twists | Blog Black Hair Styles

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• Army Bans Common <b>Black Hairstyles</b>, Including Corn Rows and Twists
• PRETTY IN PRINTS | Sophisticate&#39;s <b>Black Hair Styles</b> and Care Guide
• Akosua // 4C Natural <b>Hair Style</b> Icon | <b>Black</b> Girl with Long Hair
• <b>Black</b> Female Lawmakers Object To Army&#39;s &#39;Discriminatory&#39; Ban On <b>...</b>

Army Bans Common <b>Black Hairstyles</b>, Including Corn Rows and Twists Posted: 22 Apr 2014 04:49 PM PDT Added by Beth Balen on April 22, 2014. Saved under Beth A. Balen, Military, Politics, U.S., US Army Tags: army, black hairstyles, cornrows In a controversial new regulation characterized as discriminatory, the Army has banned common black hairstyles popular with African-American women, including large cornrows, dreadlocks and twists. The 16 women of the Congressional Black Caucus have asked Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to overturn the new directive on behalf of the 26,700 black women who are active duty in the Army. Another new Army rule bans tattoos on neck, face, lower arms, hands, and fingers of recruits. The new hair regulations, whose goal is to make clear the professional look of soldiers, requires that hair be of "uniform dimension, small in diameter (approximately one-four inch), show no more than one-eighth (inch) of the scalp between the braids." Also banned are dreadlocks, including "unkempt" or "matted" braids and cornrows. It is the words "unkempt" and "matted" that indicate racial bias to some African-Americans, as it indicates a lack of understanding of the characteristics of natural, black hair. Imani Perry, a Princeton University African-American studies professor, states that although it is reasonable for the military to expect some amount of neatness and conformity in hairstyles, those expectations should consider the wide range of natural hair textures that people have. Common black hairstyles such as cornrow braids and dreadlocks are the easiest grooming options for many black women with tightly curly or kinky hair. He goes on to say that female black soldiers are put in a difficult position by the new hair requirements, which are both racially biased and unfair. Critics say the new regulations are among grooming standards intended to help reduce the size of the army from 570,000 to 420,000. Loren B. Thompson, a Lexington Institute military expert says that during wartime there is a tendency to allow more variation in personal style simply because there are more important things to worry about. The rules on tattoos are also criticized, especially since they have become popular among soldiers who are deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, but it is the Army's ban on common black hairstyles such as cornrows and twists that have raised charges of racism. More than 17,000 people have signed an online petition to the White House, asking that the hair regulations be overturned. In addition to a lack of understanding of the characteristics of black hair, critics say that the regulation uses the hair of white women as its baseline, which rules out common black hairstyles. The texture of black hair, much of which is very curly, makes it difficult to meet the regulations unless it is chemically straightened, a particular problem when the women are deployed since the hair products necessary to maintain straightened hair are expensive and difficult to get, especially in Afghanistan. Sgt. Jasmine Jacobs, the woman who started the petition to the White House, says she was deployed to Iraq in 2008 and 2009 with a woman who had to keep redoing her cornrows to keep them neat enough to meet the current Army regulations. She says the woman's hairline had receded an inch by the time they returned to the states. The Army insists that the new regulations were cleared by a focus group that included black women. An Army spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Alayne P. Conway, says that the new female hair standards were developed with the involvement of African-American female soldiers. The Army's senior female soldiers involved in the decision-making process banning cornrows, twists, and other common black hairstyles were considered a representative sample of Army populations. By Beth A. Balen Sources: CNN CBS News New York Times Like this: Like Loading...

PRETTY IN PRINTS | Sophisticate&#39;s <b>Black Hair Styles</b> and Care Guide Posted: 16 Apr 2014 08:38 AM PDT Taking the stage at the recent MTV Movie Awards, actress Lupita Nyong'o was the ultimate mix master from head to toe!  Colorful stilettos grounded the star's colorful print (one of Spring's hottest trends) dress while sexy specs worked as the perfect accessory to the star's streamlined coif. Will you be taking a page from Lupita's style/fashion playbook this season?

Akosua // 4C Natural <b>Hair Style</b> Icon | <b>Black</b> Girl with Long Hair Posted: 22 Apr 2014 06:00 AM PDT Introduce yourself! A: My name is Akosua. I am half Ghanaian, half Zambian and I grew up in Botswana. I came to the United States for university and am currently living and working in NYC. Why did you make the decision to go natural? A: I've been natural for about a year and almost two months. I did my big chop in February of 2013. My decision to go natural was influenced by a combination of things. For one, I discovered YouTube and found women who had short hair for the majority of their lives went natural and were able to grow their hair longer than it had ever been. Prior to discovering YouTube and learning about hair, I was of the mentality that I could not grow long hair, or manage my hair without a relaxer or heat. The more I watched and read the more my stance changed. Seeing all the styles, regimens, and different textures made me very curious about what my own curl pattern would look like, and influenced me to investigate my hair's potential. Secondly, my go to style pre-natural was weave. I'd get an install every one and a half to 2 months and started to take shorter and shorter breaks in-between. It went from 2 month breaks to 2 week breaks, to removing and reinstalling on the same day. At some point my scalp, which was already sensitive started disagreeing with my weaving, so I listened and stopped. I also had heat damage at the front where I had my leave out. I needed something new! Lastly, I had been researching (just of out curiosity), the connection between foods and disease, which led me to look into the ingredients in things I use on my body and how they can have harmful effects on my health. So, I figured it was time for a whole body makeover, which included ditching the relaxer. How would you describe your texture? A: My hair is mostly 4c with some 4b in the middle and on the sides. The individual strands are fine, but my hair itself is very coarse and the strands are densely packed. Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month. A: I wear my hair in some form of low maintenance or protective style about 90% of the time. This usually consists of simple updos, flat twists, or different styles with two strand twists. I rarely wear my hair out during the week. Over the weekend, I let the fro out! I moisturize my hair twice daily using my spritz of water, aloe vera juice and glycerin. During the winter months, I do a lot of low tension long-term protective styling, such as flat twists with Havana hair just to keep my hair protected from the drying effects of the cold weather. I keep the protective styles in for 3-4 weeks at a time and take 2 week breaks in between. My goal is to find/create cute protective styles that I can keep in for 2-3 weeks that I can do myself (ideally without any extension hair). What does wash day look like for you? A: I start by separating my hair into 6 twists. I prepoo with Alikay Naturals Essential 17 Hair Grow Oil (sometimes mixed with coconut oil). I do this as an overnight treatment or for 20-30 minutes under the steamer, or under a cap prior to washing. I then run my hair under the shower and detangle it under the running water with my fingers or my seamless wide tooth comb. If my hair is really tangled, I apply some LuvNaturals Hair Detangler in addition to the oil. I haven't had much luck with shampoos, so I stick to wash products. I currently use Qhemet Biologics Egyptian Wheatgrass Cleansing Tea to cleanse my hair. I apply it only to my scalp, and rub with the pads of my fingers. Then, I rinse thoroughly and apply a deep conditioner. My favorites are Alikay Natural Honey and Sage Deep Conditioner and All Things O' Natural Natty Cupuacu and Rhassoul Deep Conditioner. Both make my curls pop and leave my hair feeling soft and moisturized. I either leave the deep conditioner on for about 30-40 minutes under a plastic cap (or two), or go under the steamer for about 30 minutes. I then rinse it out and use a t-shirt to soak up any excess water. Once my hair is about 85-90% dry, I spritz with aloe vera, add oil to my hair (Alikay Naturals Essential 17), as well as a leave in conditioner (LuvNaturals) and then something from the Qhemet line to seal, like their Amla & Olive Heavy Cream. I like the Qhemet products because my hair is very dry and these are designed as deep conditioners that can be left in. I often put a little Design Essentials CurlForming Custard on my ends. I find that it helps ward off some tangles without making my hair cakey or hard. After that, I put my hair in a style for the week. Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don't have a lot of time to style. A: A pompadour in the front and one flat twist on either side going towards the back. It's quick and easy. How do you combat shrinkage? A: I don't consciously try to combat shrinkage because it's just part of the nature of my hair. However, I do mostly keep my hair stretched, and if I am wearing it out I will first twist it or braid it. The aim here is to minimize knotting and tangles. What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention? A: I get quite a few single strand knots especially in the back where my coils are the tightest. I've found that coating my hair with the Design Essentials Custard (as mentioned above), helps to reduce those. Otherwise, I just cut those bad boys off as I find them. I also struggle with how to properly identify split ends. I haven't come across anything thus far that has helped me learn how to confidently track these. What are 2 do's for your texture? A: 1) Moisturizing daily using my DIY spritz. 2) Keeping my hair in protective and low maintenance styles for the majority of the time. For this reason, I do styles on wash day that will last at least 3-5 days. What are 2 don'ts for your texture? A: 1) Washing my hair loose or letting my hair dry loose/out of twists. 2) Combing or manipulating my hair when it is completely dry (i.e. without oil or water). Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you? A: You can find me on Instagram @afrokanomics. I'm thinking about starting a blog or YouTube channel in the summer.

<b>Black</b> Female Lawmakers Object To Army&#39;s &#39;Discriminatory&#39; Ban On <b>...</b> Posted: 11 Apr 2014 11:30 AM PDT Not everyone is feeling the Army's new hair ban, which some say targets the various hair styles worn by African-American women.  Now member of the Congressional Black Caucus have taken issue with the ban as well. 16 women in the Congressional Black Caucus sent Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel a letter expressing their objection to the Army's Regulation 670-1, which highlights new rules in regards to tattoos, hairstyles, uniforms and grooming. The new rules in regards to hair bans twists, dreadlocks, multiple braids and cornrows that are bigger than a quarter of an inch. Army spokesman Paul Prince told the Army Times that twists and dreadlocks have been barred since 2005, but these regulations go into more detail about specific hairstyles. Here's the letter from the women of the CBC: Though we understand the intent of the updated regulation is to ensure uniformity in our military, it is seen as discriminatory rules targeting soldiers who are women of color with little regard to what is needed to maintain their natural hair. African American women have often been required to meet unreasonable norms as it relates to acceptable standards of grooming in the workplace. [...] Army officials have responded to criticism of the regulation by saying it applies to all soldiers regardless of race, and that they are meant to protect their safety. However the use of words like "unkempt" and "matted" when referring to traditional hairstyles worn by women of color are offensive and biased. The assumption that individuals wearing these hairstyles cannot maintain them in a way that meets the professionalism of Army standards indicates a lack of cultural sensitivity conducive to creating a tolerant environment for minorities.  The letter was signed by Reps. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Corrine Brown (D-Fla.), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Donna Edwards (D-Md.), Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) and Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), as well as Delegates Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Donna Christensen (D-V.I.). The Army has not released a statement, but previously said the rules were drawn up after surveying hundreds of senior enlisted female soldiers as part of a focus group led by a female sergeant major. In regards to the new rules, Sgt. Jasmine Jacobs of the Georgia National Guard started a petition on the White House website calling on the Army to "allow professional ethnic hairstyles." It currently has about 15,000 signatures. Jacobs also told the Army Times that twists are a popular style, especially in the field because they're easy to take care of. "I've been in the military six years, I've had my hair natural four years, and it's never been out of regulation. It's never interfered with my head gear," added Jacobs, who wears her hair in two twists. Although some people are of the notion that when  you join the Army, you become "theirs and you do as they say", others feel as though if you're willing to die for a country and go to battle, the least of their worries should be if your twists are not under regulation.

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